It was near the end of her freshman year that Mary Sheehan fully realized all the possibilities in front of her at Saint Joseph's. 

Working with the athletic department's Assistant Director of Educational Support Services Taylor Weidensaul, she charted out her academic plans for her time at SJU. 

Weidensaul explained to Sheehan that it was possible she could graduate in three years with a business degree and then continue her studies to earn an MBA shortly after she finished playing her final season for the women's basketball team in 2021. 

Suddenly, Sheehan saw that Saint Joseph's presented her with a special opportunity. "It wasn't necessarily the plan coming in. … By first semester of my sophomore year, I had my eyes on taking that path.''

That happened after consulting with Weidensaul, who along with Janet Greder and Patricia Haslam, Ph.D., works with student-athletes on academics. Sheehan is grateful for the guidance she's received. 

"It's a huge asset for us,'' she said. "You're just so set up for success. There are so many tools for you to use to be successful.''

Sheehan, whose parents and paternal grandfather are Saint Joseph's graduates, has been a high achiever for most of her life. Advanced placement credits earned at Cardinal O'Hara High School in Springfield, Pennsylvania and the opportunity to enroll in college courses during summer sessions added up to an early graduation. 

"She's very dedicated and committed,'' said her mother, Eileen (O'Grady) Sheehan '85. "She was a very good student…She just understood from a young age that education was important.''  

Before Sheehan takes on the task of earning an MBA, she will spend her summer as an intern in the audit department with Deloitte, a company recognized as one of the "big four'' accounting firms. She earned her way to the firm's leadership summit in Dallas after her sophomore year, and that experience led to the 2020 internship in Philadelphia. Deloitte internships frequently lead to full-time employment. 

But before she gets to that, Sheehan has a basketball season to complete. She starts at guard after two seasons coming off the bench. Head Coach Cindy Griffin appointed her captain before the season started, a role that impacts the team both on and off the court.  

"Mary exemplifies what it means to be a great leader with her compelling work ethic, exceptional communication skills and ability to relate to all people,'' said Griffin. 

Sheehan has embraced her responsibilities wholeheartedly. 

"(I want to) keep everybody positive, especially since we have three freshmen,'' she said. "(They need to) understand what their role is, and they have to be great every day for our team to be great. It doesn't matter how many minutes you play, everyone has a huge impact on the team.''

Sheehan's leadership extends beyond the women's basketball team as a member of two influential committees, the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and the athletic department's new Steering Committee under Director of Athletics Jill Bodensteiner. SAAC is comprised of a student from each athletic team. The steering committee has fewer members and is how Bodensteiner communicates with student-athletes and gathers feedback.

"Anything the athletic department is talking about, Jill brings to us,'' explained Sheehan. "Our job is to voice how our teammates feel and take what she's saying back to the team...so people are aware of where we're heading, not just where we are currently. She wants us to be leaders, to be positive representatives all across campus.''

Sheehan's affinity for St. Joe's basketball developed at an early age. Her parents are loyal Hawks -- her father flapped his wings as the Hawk mascot for three seasons and both her parents have passed down a love of the school.

"I was completely born into it right out of the womb,'' said Sheehan. 

Dennis and Eileen will attend nearly all the women's games this season and will also continue to use their men's season tickets, which they've had since 1985, when there are no scheduling conflicts.

"She was going to games with us from the time she was an infant,'' said Dennis. "For the first few years, she sat on our laps. When she got to be about five or six, when she got too tall, we got three seats. 

"It was like home to her, really, she grew up there. We have photos of her at Cindy's camp when she was four years old.'' 

Sheehan considered other schools before realizing Hawk Hill was the place for her, and her experience has been extremely successful academically, athletically and socially.

"I couldn't have made a better decision,'' said Sheehan of coming to Saint Joseph's. "I'm grateful every day that I'm in the position I'm in.''